Coastal and maritime tourism is one of the key drivers for creating growth and new jobs in Europe, in particular in coastal areas which often suffer from high unemployment. It is a pillar of the "Blue Growth" strategy and has a potential to create growth and new jobs, particularly in areas with high unemployment.

The High Level Conference on Coastal and Maritime Tourism, that took place in Athens on 10 March 2014 in the framework of the Informal Meeting of Ministers for Tourism, discussed the growing dynamics of the sector, its economic and social benefits, its contribution to the enhancement of regions and local economies and its potential contribution to a decrease in unemployment.

The Commission has recently presented a new strategy to enhance coastal and maritime tourism in Europe. It proposes 14 Actions to enable coastal regions and business to tackle the challenges and make a quantum leap in order to exploit opportunities for growth and jobs sustainably. The new strategy also calls on industry stakeholders, Regions and Member States to take up the challenges and complement the EU actions.

Conference: Europe 2020 Strategy for growth

On 11 March, a Commission led "Mission for growth" is also bringing representatives of about 145 European companies to Greece, to participate in bilateral meetings with 330 SMEs from across Greece with the aim to form new partnerships and discuss opportunities for collaboration.